Titanium Doesn't Mix With Love
by SHSL Despair
Summary: Tsukiko Akiyama, a second year student, is a disabled rich girl with a bionic leg. She's been labeled as a "cyborg," and it affects her self-esteem more than some people think. A chance encounter with Ouran's infamous host club turns her life around, and after many ups and downs, she learns that you don't have to be normal to be loved. Rated T for language (Mori x OC x Kyoya)
1. Chapter 1

_ BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! _The loud blaring of the alarm clock awoke Tsukiko Akiyama from her wonderful slumber. The seventeen year old frowned and slammed her hand down on top of her alarm clock on her bedside drawer. She huffed and burrowed herself further into her blankets. _It's only 5:30…. School doesn't start until 7:40… I got plenty of time…._ She thought to herself, basking in the warmth of her very fuzzy blue blanket.

She groaned as her phone's alarm went off half an hour later. She hissed as she pried the covers off herself, swinging her legs—well leg over the side of the bed. Yes, that's right. Tsukiko Akiyama only had one leg.

She blubbered pathetically as she turned off the alarm and hopped out of bed, literally. She hopped about the room like a rabbit on her one leg, heading for the bathroom. She passed by her book bag, which contained all her textbooks and notebooks and school supplies, and the horrid yellow banana puff of a thing which she called a uniform.

She leaned heavily against the door that led into the connected bathroom and sighed, not wanting to get ready. Why was school required to be at such an early time? Tsukiko huffed and turned the handle, opening the door and hopping on the cold tile floor with her one leg.

She looked at herself in the mirror. Choppy violet tinted black bangs swept across her forehead. Big brown eyes stared back at her, sadness evident in them. Her face was practically free of blemishes, one thing she was grateful for. She smiled, actually feeling very pretty. Then she stepped back so she could see her whole body. Immediately, the smile dissipated and she focused on the one thing she hated the most; her missing leg from halfway down her thigh.

_I'm such a freak, aren't I?_ She thought wryly, quietly laughing at herself. She obviously held very much hatred for the fact that was "abnormal," as many of her classmates told her before.

Tsukiko shook her head, clearing her thoughts and proceeding to get ready for school.  
After pulling on her uniform, Tsukiko exited the bathroom and hopped over to the farthest corner of her room, where her best friend and greatest enemy lay.

Her bionic leg.

She dragged it over to her bed, not having much difficulty since it was made of very lightweight titanium. It was sturdy, and pretty durable, perfect for Tsukiko, who tended to be somewhat clumsy. She plopped down onto her bed, positioning it below her stump of a leg. Tsukiko attached the wires to her leg, the wires acting likes nerves that helped move her leg according to her brain waves; one of the perks of being the daughter of a multi-billionaire.

She got up, flexing her bionic leg. Tsukiko grabbed her bag and slung it over her shoulder, a dull clunk echoing her footsteps as she walked out of her bedroom and made her way downstairs.

"Good morning Mistress," greeted the maids and butlers that passed by her.

"Good morning," Tsukiko replied back to each and every one of them, smiling as best as she could. She slowly climbed down the long spiral staircase, finally reaching the bottom after carefully treading down.

"Morning Tsu-Tsu~" sang her mother, Yumi. Yumi was pretty much an older version of Tsukiko, but with hazel eyes and much shorter hair. "Do you want breakfast, dear?" She asked as Tsukiko entered the large dining room. "Ryu-san prepared your favorite today!

"G'morning okaasan," Tsukiko's lips twitched into a small smile. "And Ryu-san made chocolate chip pancakes?" She grinned, momentarily forgetting about her previous depression over her leg. "I want some, please!"

"Already on it!" Ryu was the Akiyamas' head chef, and a quite famous one at at. He had a balding head, and a gentle, wrinkly face. Tsukiko absolutely loved him and he was practically family. "Here you go, Miss." He set the plate in front of the girl as she sat down.

"Thank you!" Tsukiko called after him as he headed back into the kitchen. She ravenously dug into her pancakes, quickly slicing it them into sections and piling them into her mouth.

"So, Tsu-Tsu, how's the leg?" Her mother asked, busy with her own chocolate chip pancakes. "Any problems?"

Tsukiko heavily swallowed, setting down her knife and fork. She wasn't going to tell her mother anything about the teasing—she was too afraid of what consequences there might be. "It's—it's fine. No problems. A little noisy when I walk though," she put on a fake smile, waving it off. "That's pretty much it."

Yumi nodded, seemingly content with the answer. "Alright then! I'm glad it's working well for you. Your father was very apprehensive about it at first, but I'm glad I convinced him." Yumi quickly finished her pancakes first and was headed off. "Now you be good at school! I have some paperwork to fill out." She kissed Tsukiko on the forehead and headed to her study, leaving her daughter alone.

You see, Yumi was a lawyer, and was always very busy and was rarely seen anywhere but the courtroom. Tsukiko's father, Masaomi, was a business man and was CEO of many important tech companies that produced phones and laptops that a majority of the world used. It was nice having a lot of money, but it also meant that Tsukiko was alone without her parents most of the time, much like any other rich child.

Tsukiko ate the rest of her pancakes slowly, savoring the taste, yet also mulling over her thoughts. She sighed in delight as she stuffed down the last bite. She thanked the maid that took away her plate, and pulled herself up and out of her chair. "Ishida-san is already waiting outside, Miss," said the same maid that took her plate. Tsukiko nodded and made her way out the door, he brag hanging loose over her shoulder and down by her hips.

"Hello, Ishida-san!" Tsukiko greeted the limousine driver as she got into the car.

"Hello Miss Tsukiko," Ishida gave her a nod of acknowledgement and glanced at her through the rearview mirror. "Are you ready for another school day?"

"Not really," she looked down at her feet, shifting her skirts. "I'd rather stay home..."

"I'd be glad to drop you off at the mall instead, but I'm very aware of your parents' wrath," Ishida joked, trying to humor her. Tsukiko chuckled a little, but the rest of the ride was silent.

* * *

"Here we are, Ouran Academy," Ishida announced when they arrived. "Do you wish for me to open the door for you, miss?"

"No, that's not necessary," Tsukiko shook her head, opening the door herself. "See you later, Ishida-san."

"See you, Miss Tsukiko."

The minute Tsukiko stepped out of the limousine was the minute she felt the whispers beginning to start up. She squeezed her eyes shut for a second, breathing in deeply. Biting her lip, she kept her head down and walked slowly into the massive throng of students that block the entrance into Ouran Academy.

_"_Oh my gosh, it's her!"

"Her leg looks sooooo creepy. Ugh, what a freak!"

"Look it's the cyborg! Hey, d'ya think she has a circuit system in that body of hers?"

Tsukiko almost pushed her way through, but restrained herself. She hurriedly made her way to class after entering the gates. She sighed in relief, for the halls were practically empty. She briskly strode down to the classroom, Class 2-A. She visibly flinched as she slid open the door, most eyes turning to her.

Still keeping her head down, she slowly made her way to the back of the classroom, clutching her bag's strap until her knuckles were white. _Please don't talk to me. Please don't look at me. Please stop whispering…._

"Hey watch this!" One kid whispered to his friends, sticking his leg out as Tsukiko passed, effectively tripping her.

Her things went flying. Her books spilled out of her bags and her notebooks scattered across the floor. Tsukiko winced as she landed on the floor, putting out her hands in front of her to cushion her fall. Her bionic leg banged against the floor. Surely, there would be a dent in the metal. She felt hot tears prick at her eyes as the kid and his friends laughed at her.

"What's wrong cyborg? Couldn't catch yourself with that leg of yours?" They snickered and kicked at her things, feeling no guilt at all.

Tsukiko whimpered and got onto her knees, picking her things up. She sniffled and wiped away a stray tear, her face red and burning from embarrassment.

"Oh, what's going on over here?" Tsukiko heard a familiar voice, hesitant to look up. "Why, gentlemen, tripping a lady?! How dare you?"

"Whatever, Suoh... Jeez."

"My father has no tolerance for bullies, I assure you."

"Alright! We're sorry! Happy now?"

Tsukiko peeked up through her bangs, watching as the Headmaster's blond ditz of a son, Tamaki Suoh, lectured the boys who jeered at her. She felt no better however. Tsukiko was greatly surprised when Tamaki bent down and held out the rest of her books to her.

"Hello, Princess." He greeted her with that charming smile of his. Tsukiko wasn't so easily wooed however. "Are you new to Ouran? Oh, and may I ask when you got that bionic leg of yours?"

Tsukiko's eyes prickled with tears again. She had been at Ouran Middle School, _and_ Ouran Academy for just as long as he was! In fact, every year, they were in the _same_ class! Was she really that invisible and petty to him? And the bionic leg was pretty new, but he didn't have to be so insensitive about it!

Tsukiko snatched her books away, stuffing them back in her bag along with the rest of her stuff. She said nothing and got up, her bangs hiding her teary eyes as she escaped to her seat toward the back of the classroom. Tamaki slowly got up, wondering what he could have possibly done to offend her, and rejoined Kyoya in the front of the class.

"Who _is _that girl, Kyoya?" The blond prince whispered to his raven haired companion. "Is she new?"

Kyoya sighed, raising an eyebrow. He shut his black notebook, glancing at Tsukiko. "Tsukiko Akiyama," he stated, relaying all the information he knew about her in a hushed tone. "Seventeen, daughter of Masaomi Akiyama, CEO of Pineapple and J-Mobile. She's been in every single one of _your _classes since Middle School, Tamaki. She just recently got that titanium bionic leg a couple years ago, though I have no information on why she is missing a leg."

"All these years and I have never once talked to her?!" Tamaki put a hand over his heart dramatically. "How ashamed I am!" He babbled on about nonsense for a bit, Kyoya going back to his usually scribbling in that notebook of his to drown him out. "I must do something! I must—I must invite her to the host club!" Tamaki declared triumphantly.

"Well, if you wish." Kyoya put on a fake smile as the bell rang, signaling the start of class. "Though, I have no idea how you will manage that..."

"She'll say yes, don't worry Kyoya!"

* * *

"Tsukiko-hime, I'd like to invite you to the Host Club after school," Tamaki batted his eyelashes at the girl as he stood in front of her seat. The period finally ended after an hour and a half, and he finally got the chance to approach Tsukiko after talking with Kyoya for a bit to explain his plan. "If you'd be so kind to accept my invitation—"

Tsukiko mumbled an incoherent reply.

"What was that?"

"…o..No…" She said, a little louder. But Tamaki could still not hear.

"Could you repeat that one more time, Tsukiko-hime?"

"No!" Tsukiko blurted out in her soft voice. She clutched her book in her hands very tightly, refusing to look at Tamaki.

Tamaki seemed to deflate as he rushed to a corner and sat there, sulking. "But… Why not…?" He moaned to himself, whimpering and acting like a child.

Kyoya looked on in amusement, glasses glinting as he watched the whole exchange. He watched as Tsukiko sunk down in her seat, using her book to cover her face. _What a shame…_ He thought to himself. _And here I thought she'd accept immediately_. Obviously, his thoughts were filled with sarcasm as well.

Second period passed, and it was time for lunch. Tamaki, now out of his depression, approached Tsukiko again to ask. Tsukiko already knew what he was going to say, and cut him off before he even started to speak. "My answer is yet again no," She said softly, feeling meek. She didn't want to deal with this right now. "I'm s—sorry," she stuttered, holding her book in her arms.

"Then you don't have to visit the Host Club." A light bulb went off in Tamaki's head. He quickly grasped Tsukiko's arm, leaving her no time to react as he pulled her out of her seat. "You'll just have to sit with us at lunch!" He grinned, truly believing that what he was doing was good. And so, he pulled Tsukiko along like a ragdoll, her bionic leg making lots of noise as she was trying to resist.

Kyoya shook his head, following after them in a brisk walk, almost a jog. "Tamaki, I think you're making her uncomfortable," he commented as they walked along. He glanced down at Tsukiko, who was a short 5'6'' compared to his 6'0''.

Tsukiko looked up at Kyoya. She was known as the "cyborg" but he was known as the "Demon King," which was much scarier in her opinion. "Help…?" She squeaked, her bag bouncing along on her hip as Tamaki babbled away on how "excited the others hosts would be to meet you!"

Kyoya only pursed his lips and looked away, leaving Tsukiko feeling strangely rejected and sorrowful.

"We're here~" Tamaki sang as they bust through the cafeteria doors and met the others at their usual table.

"What the hell…?" Haruhi's eyebrows furrowed together as she saw Tamaki pulling along a girl by the wrist, and Kyoya walking calmly next to them. "Senpai, what are you doing to that poor girl?"

"Don't _worry,_ Haruhi!" Tamaki laughed, sitting Tsukiko down in a chair. "Just say hello to Tsukiko Akiyama!"

"Hello, Tsu-chan!" Hunny grinned, bouncing up and down in front of the scared-looking girl with Usa-chan in his arms.

"H—Hello... Mitsukuni-senpai..." Tsukiko stuttered, trying to squirm out of Tamaki's ironclad grip.

"Call me Hunny!" The Lolita giggled, putting Usa-chan in her arms. "Now, hold Usa-chan for me, 'kay?"

"O—okay…" she agreed, really having no other choice.

"I'm sorry, did Tamaki-senpai drag you over here forcefully?" Haruhi asked Tsukiko, looking exasperated. "He's an idiot, please don't mind him. You're welcome to leave if you'd like. I'm Haruhi Fujioka, a first year. I guess it's nice to meet you, Senpai," she said awkwardly.

"No! Tsukiko-hime isn't allowed to leave until I introduce her to everyone!" Tamaki argued. "Now, Tsukiko, that's Mori-senpai over there. I don't know if you know him, but he's Hunny-senpai's cousin." He spoke to her if she was a child, something Tsukiko didn't like.

"I'm aware," Tsukiko nodded, placing her book on the table and gripping her dress by the fistful. "I—I'm not a child!"

"Are you a robot?" Hikaru asked, he and Kaoru peering closely at her. "We've heard rumors yanno."

Tsukiko flinched, obviously not wanting to talk about it. "I—I'm not a robot… I just.. I—"

"You just what?" Kaoru smirked. The Hitachiins were going to have fun prodding at this girl. "Hmm?"

Tsukiko grew increasingly uncomfortable with the amount of eyes staring at her. She looked to the side and locked eyes with Mori. They held gazes for a couple seconds. Tsukiko's eyes were filled with panic, and Mori's eyes were unreadable, as usual. Tsukiko broke the staring contest and inhaled deeply.

"J—just drop it!" She tried to say forcefully, but it came out as more of a whimper.

"Guys, c'mon, she said stop," Haruhi tried to intervene, but the twins ignored her.

"Nah," they said. "We'll keep talking thank you very much." Cheekily, Kaoru grabbed the bottom of her dress and pulled it up. "Oh would you look at that," they said in unison. "She really does have a robot leg!" They started poking at it, asking her if she felt it. They even had the nerve to knock on it and try and bend the metal. "How did you get this leg, hmm? Ooh, and you've dented it too. How sad."

"Stop it!" Tsukiko screeched, trying to pull her dress back down. Luckily, they didn't expose her underwear. "Just—_**STOP IT!**_" She finally was able to wrench her dress away from their grasp and stand up.

"Hikaru, Kaoru! That's going too far!" Tamaki yelled at them, shocked at their outrageous behavior. "What has gotten into you two?!"

"What? We're just trying to see if the rumors were true," Hikaru shrugged.

"And they were," Kaoru finished, nodding his head.

"You—you perverted, ill-mannered a—asshats!" Tsukiko was very angry now. Her face was flushed vermillion and she was getting teary eyed again. She raised her hands and smacked the twins, feeling a rage never felt before. "Tamaki, I never, _ever_ want to speak to you and your discourteous Host Club ever again!" She shrieked, sniffling and infuriated.

She took off in a run, feeling violated. How _dare_ they just lift up her skirt and ask about the thing she was most insecure about?! She hiccupped, trying to choke back sobs as she left them behind, leaving her textbook behind too.

"O—ow…" Kaoru rubbed his cheek.

"Jeez, what did we do?" Hikaru mumbled, clutching his own cheek as well.

"Well, for one you violated her personal space," Kyoya said, writing in his notebook. "You lifted her dress, which was disgusting, by the way. You asked about an obviously sensitive subject, and you made her upset." He smiled, closing his notebook for the millionth time. "Isn't that clear enough?"

Haruhi started to yell at the twins, half of the cafeteria staring at the hosts and the other half watching as Tsukiko ran away. "You idiots! Don't you know when a girl tells you to stop, you stop?!" She shook her head, very disappointed. "I though you two _knew_ better! And to lift up a girl's skirt as well! What is wrong in those twisted heads of yours?!"

"Takashi, d'you think Tsu-chan will be mad at us forever?" Hunny asked his cousin, a frown on his face.

Mori didn't reply, he was too busy staring in the direction Tsukiko ran off in, outside and to the garden.

* * *

**A/N: Phew. That was a hassle to write. xD Well, that was Chapter One of Titanium Doesn't Mix With Love. I hope you enjoyed!**

**Disclaimer: I am in no way in part of the ownership of Ouran High School Host Club. All rights belong to Bisco Hatori and Bones Inc. All I do own is Tsukiko Akiyama and etc.**


	2. Chapter 2

Tsukiko sat down on one of the stone benches out in the vast garden. She was in a secluded area, and was sure that no one would be able to find her there. She rubbed her eyes, trying to get rid of her tears. She sat there on the bench for the rest of the lunch break, not even taking out her food to eat. Tsukiko was just so upset and offended—and all sorts of emotions she couldn't put into words.

"I wish I had never lost my leg," She muttered angrily to herself, running her hands over the dent in her shin. "I wish I no one made fun of me for having this stupid bionic leg. I wish I wasn't treated as a _freak_ spectacle. I wish—I wish—" Tsukiko started to cry silently again, her shoulders shaking while she took in unsteady deep breaths.

After a solid fifteen minutes of sobbing, Tsukiko finally got herself to calm down a little. Her eyes were now bloodshot and red rimmed, tear tracks were running down her cheeks, and her nose and cheeks were a dusty pink,. She did the best she could to clear her face, but she couldn't do anything about her eyes. The bell rung and Tsukiko got up. She cursed as she realized what her next period was; Gym.

She made her way out of the garden, head down once more to avoid eye contact with anyone. She passed through several hallways before entering the girls' locker room. Tsukiko was the first one there, but that didn't mean there wasn't going to be anybody else coming in.

She opened her locked, tossing her bag inside and carefully stripping off her uniform. She just about pulled it over her head when a group of gossiping girls burst into the locker room. Their nasally voices died down when they spotted Tsukiko only in her bra and panties, her bionic leg showing in all it's glory.

"Oh… It's _her._" One of the girls hissed in a disgusted tone.

"Shut up Emiko!" said another, slapping said girl. "You're being too loud."

"Whatever Yuri, she _needs_ to hear," Emiko rolled her eyes, flipping her long blond hair and heading to her own locker. The rest of the girls dispersed, their chatter starting up again.

Tsukiko clamped her hand on her locker door, using it to block the rest of the girls' view of her. She had the locker farthest in the back, and they were all in the front, so they were far away as possible. Folding her uniform neatly, she tossed it onto the top shelf of her locker, not bothering to hang it. She inhaled shakily, grabbing her _very_ short black gym shorts and pulling them on. There was no exception for her, and she had to wear the same uniform as the rest of the girls, despite her bionic leg. She pulled on her gym shirt, which was the same ugly yellow as her regular uniform. Tsukiko quickly changed her shoes, slipping off her knee high socks and flats and putting on regular ankle-length socks and tennis shoes.

* * *

She was the first one done and was out the door long before everyone else. Tsukiko pulled out a hairtie she had left in her pocket from the last time she had Gym, and used it to tie her hair up into a high ponytail, leaving her bangs and a couple wisps of hair down. She sat on the bleachers near the sides of the gym, where everyone usually waited. There was one problem however….

Tamaki and Kyoya were approaching her.

_ Goddammit._ She cursed. _I know we're in the same class and all, but please don't talk to me anymore!_

She looked down at her feet, twiddling with her thumbs and hoping they wouldn't come any nearer. But they kept walking toward her.

"Tsukiko-hime!" Tamaki called, waving erratically. "Tsukiko-hime!"

"I thought I said I never wanted to speak with you again," she said softly as they stood in front of her. She didn't meet their eyes however.

"You forgot your textbook at our table during lunch," Kyoya intervened, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "It currently rests in our Host Club, and if you want it back, you must visit us."

"W—what?!" Tsukiko's head snapped up. So _that's_ what she was missing! She knew something was up when her bag felt lighter than before. "N—no I can't I—I said I never wanted to speak to you guys again!" She huffed, starting to panic.

"Then how will you get your textbook back, hmm?" Kyoya smirked, arms crossed.

"Tsukiko-hime, please? I will have the twins beg for forgiveness if that's what it takes for you to come," Tamaki added, in full honesty.

Tsukiko was in a dilemma for a moment. She did need her textbook, but she didn't want to see the Hitachiins' faces again…. She slumped forward and held her face in her hands.

"Alright I—I'll come…" She finally decided, mentally slapping herself. "Only if those twins stay as far away as possible."

"It's a deal then," Tamaki grinned, feeling giddy. Tsukiko weakly smiled as the coach blew the whistle to signal the start of Gym.

"Alright kids, listen up!" yelled Coach Tanaka. "We're doing basketball today. I'll assign teams of six and you'll go up against another team of six. Do you got that?!" Coach Tanaka got an affirmative yell from her students, and a smirk appeared on her face. "Who wants to be first?"

Many hands shot up, mostly from the more athletic people. Tsukiko shrunk away however, not wanting to be picked first. But as she looked up at Coach Tanaka, she saw her looking straight into her eyes. "Tsukiko. You first. Get up here."

"No—I um—I'm okay I'd rather go last…"

"Did I give you an opinion, girlie?!" barked Tanaka.

"N—no ma'am!" Tsukiko squeaked, quickly getting up and heading to the front of the large group, feeling mortified.

"Good." Tanaka nodded. "Alright, let's see…. Emiko, Yuri, Ishimaru, Togami, Uzu. All five of you up here now. You're with Tsukiko." Groans from the said people were very audible, and Tsukiko seemingly deflated. She cringed as Emiko and Yuri came up to the front, twirling their hair and acting like total idiots.

"Ew. We're with the _cyborg,_" Emiko eyed Tsukiko with disgust, still twirling her hair. "What a drag."

"Aw, c'mon Emiko," Uzu rolled his eyes, running a hand through his shaggy dark green hair. "You can't even friggin' _toss_ a basketball, so don't make fun of anyone else."

"What_ever_," Emiko gasped, narrowing her eyes.

And so, they were paired up with another team, and the game started. Emiko and Yuri stood in the back, not even paying attention. Uzu, Ishimaru, and Togami were pretty much ballhogs and left Tsukiko with nothing to do. The game continued on like that for a couple of minutes until the ball slipped out of Togami's hands. Tsukiko acted fast, running over and picking up the ball and dribbling past the opposing team. She was quick and light on her feet, and was able to score a basket in a matter of seconds.

"Woah. Holy shit," Togami's eyebrows raised, as did Uzu's and Ishimaru's.

"Did you guys see that?" Ishimaru gaped.

"Yeah. We aren't blind idiot. But she actually scored a basket…" Uzu scoffed, just the tiniest bit impressed

"A—are we still playing or…?" Tsukiko stuttered, noticing that everyone stopped to watch her make the basket and started to play with her fingers. She was disabled, yes, but that didn't mean she couldn't do sports. The boys grinned, but Emiko and Yuri were shocked.

"Did she just—"

"Oh my god she really is a fuckin' robot! Did you see how high she jumped?"

"Freak."

Tsukiko's ears picked up on the insult, and she frowned a little. Shaking her head to clear the thought away, she proceeded to actually _play_ with her peers. She scored basket after basket, being assisted by the three boys on her team.

"Hey, Akiyama, you did good out there," Ishimaru yelled at Tsukiko as the period ended and they were sent back to the locker rooms. "That robot leg of yours helps huh?"

"Thank you!" Tsukiko called back. "But it's not a robot leg…" She murmured under her breath, sighing.

"Kyoya, isn't it strange how athletic Tsukiko-hime is, even with that bionic leg of hers?" Tamaki said, with a small smile on his face.

"Not all disabled people are incapable of playing sports, Tamaki," Kyoya said bluntly, walking past Tamaki and heading to the locker rooms ahead of him. He was pretty taken aback by Tsukiko's athletic prowess, but he'd never admit that, at least not yet.

* * *

**A/N: Ahhhhh here you go! That was chapter two. Obviously there's a little bit of foreshadowing. I'll let you guess what for ;) Anyways, please review! It's what keeps me going ;-; And I'm sorry this chapter is relatively short compared to the first one. Hopefully the third chapter will be 2000 words at least! We'll see however**

**Disclaimer: I am in no way in part of the ownership of Ouran High School Host Club. All rights belong to Bisco Hatori and Bones Inc. All I do own is Tsukiko Akiyama and etc.**


	3. Chapter 3

Finally, it was the end of the school day. Tsukiko was back in her regular uniform, sitting in her desk with her notebook out in front of her. She hurriedly jotted down the last of the algebra notes before putting her mechanical pencil back into her pencil pouch and closing up her notebook. She placed both items back into her messenger bag which lay by her feet.

She sighed, running some formulas through her mind again. Algebra wasn't her strong point. She did have straight A's, but barely. In Algebra she had an A-, so she had to either maintain that or raise it.

Tsukiko chewed on her lip, her bionic leg bouncing up and down furiously out of habit. It didn't make much sound, but there certainly was a dull clink every time Tsukiko accidentally hit the desk. Her eyes darted to the clock. Five minutes—just five minutes until Tsukiko would be able to leave the classroom and leave Ouran Academy behind.

She had forgotten about the Host Club for a moment, and once the bell rang she shot up quickly, just like the other students and was about to move toward the door before Tamaki stopped her by calling out her name.

"Tsukiko-hime!" He yelled from across the room, causing Tsukiko to bow her head in shame. She winced as a couple of girls pushed past her, making her bang her thigh into her desk. Typical.

"Y—yes…?" She answered, looking up at Tamaki with a cringe.

"C'mon! You're coming to the Host Club with us remember?" Tamaki yipped excitedly like a small puppy.

"Oh that's right…" Tsukiko mumbled. "I—I could always come another time, though!" She laughed nervously. "No need for me to come in today, haha!"

"If you've forgotten, your algebra textbook is in the club room," Kyoya stated, pushing up is glasses after getting up and out of his seat. "That's why you didn't have it today, right?" He smirked, watching as the light from Tsukiko's eyes died.

Tsukiko nodded miserably. "O—okay I'll come… Just for my textbook!" But Tamaki didn't hear the last part, and giddily grabbed Tsukiko's wrist and pulled her along. Kyoya did nothing to help, which Tsukiko was secretly peeved at for. Tamaki pulled her sharply around a corner, making her hit her bionic leg up against a pillar. She hissed, feeling a dent in her bionic foot.

"Just because it's bionic, doesn't mean I can't feel it!" She wailed, earning a chuckle from Kyoya. She shot him a quizzical look, but only received an indifferent glare in reply. _Since when did the Shadow King chuckle?_ She thought to herself. Well, she didn't know Kyoya very well but the rumors about _him_ were that he was an emotionless shell of a human being always trying to beat his brothers. She shook her head clear of the thought. It wasn't right to judge people when she herself was just as rumored about.

"Why are we in front of an abandoned music room?" Tsukiko asked meekly, looking up at the large double doors that spelled her doom.

"This, Tsukiko-hime, is the host club!" Tamaki announced proudly, twisting the handles and pushing the doors open.

Tsukiko winced as the harsh light invaded her eyes. She blinked madly, her eyes adjusting to the light. Soon, everything came into focus. She saw the twins harassing Haruhi, Hunny speaking animatedly to Usa-chan, and Mori watching over him as usual.

"Tamaki-senpai! You brought Tsukiko-senpai along again?" Haruhi clicked her tongue as she pushed the twins off and headed over to Tamaki, Tsukiko, and Kyoya. Haruhi glanced at Kyoya. "Did he somehow make you fall into a debt too?" She asked.

"No, no…" Tsukiko shook her head, Tamaki letting go of her wrist and hugging Haruhi tightly. "I'm just here to get my algebra textbook, Haruhi-kun." She still thought Haruhi was a boy, due to the uniform and all. But, Haruhi seemed very, _very _feminine to Tsukiko. Never mind that how ever.

"Here," Kyoya piped up, holding out the bulky green textbook that was Tsukiko's. "Don't forget it next time," he said, glasses glinting and covering his eyes. He didn't look at Tsukiko at all when she grabbed it.

"Thank you," Tsukiko said graciously, hugging the book to her chest, breathing a sigh of relief.

"You're welcome," Kyoya nodded.

"Can I—May I leave now?" Tsukiko asked, looking up at Tamaki with pleading eyes. "Please?"

"No!" Tamaki laughed, letting go of Haruhi and patting Tsukiko on the shoulder. "The Host Club will be opening soon, and I will have you stay for the whole duration!" He laughed.

"Tamaki-senpai, you're basically holding her hostage, you know that?" Haruhi bluntly stated, raising an eyebrow.

"…." Tamaki paused for a second, processing what the brunette had just told him. He then laughed it off. "No I'm not!" He denied, pushing Tsukiko over to a couch gently. "Now Tsukiko, stay here and watch us Host. You're free to join in with any one of us if you'd like."

Tsukiko sulked silently as she was plopped down onto the soft cushions. She sighed and she tapped her fingers on her book, watching as the Host Club greeted their first guests.

She pulled out her phone from her messenger bag. It was the latest model from her father's company, Pineapple. She unlocked the screen and proceeded to text Ishida.

_Sorry, Ishida-san. I'm going to stay after school for a bit. I'll call you when I get out._

She locked her phone again, slipping it back into her bag. Tsukiko just quietly sat there, looking around the room and bouncing her bionic leg up and down once more. She hummed a silent tune in her mind, a bit taken aback as she saw the Hitachiins' brotherly love act. _Isn't that taboo?_ She furrowed her eyebrows, tearing her eyes away from the ginger twins.

"Oh my gosh, it's _her_." There go the whispers again, this time from a group of girls Tsukiko had never seen before.

"I can't believe Tamaki-kun let her in here."

"She's not even with a host! What is she doing here?"

"They probably refused to host her and let her just sit there. I mean, who would host _her? _She's such a weirdo with that leg of hers."

"Yeah, I bet it can detach and walk about by itself. Ew, I'm getting shivers just thinking about it! How creepy is that?"

"That's what Tsukiko is after all. A creepy cyborg freak."

With every comment, Tsukiko's head lowered and lowered until it was in her lap. She was completely hunched over, trying to block them out. It was unsuccessful, however, and the whispers kept continuing. They seemed never ending, and Tsukiko was getting tired of it. She snapped and stood up in a flash, clutching her algebra textbook tightly until her knuckles became white.

"Tsukiko...?" Kyoya raised an eyebrow from the table next to her. "Is something the matter?" He asked, wondering what caused the girl to stand up so quickly.

"I have to go," She murmured quickly, not looking at the raven haired boy. "I just remembered that I have a doctor's appointment to get to. I can't be late, haha." She forced a laugh, quickly scurrying toward the door, trying to avoid passing through the Hosts' groups.

She was almost at the door when she bumped—well, more like _crashed_—into Mori, who was getting more cake for Hunny.

"I'm sorry, Senpai," She apologized, holding her head. She had practically knocked her head into Mori's chest, and his chest was hard as a rock. "I—I didn't see you there." She looked up and met his eyes, which were as emotionless as usual. But Tsukiko detected a spark of confusion in his eyes however. "Haha! Well that's sort of weird, isn't it? You're at least 6'3'' and I didn't see you! Haha!" Her laughter became more panicked as the whispers started getting a little louder. Her voice started to shake and get quieter.

"Ah…" Mori let out his usual word of the day, and stepped aside and Tsukiko rushed past him. It seemed like she was in a state of great panic, which worried him a miniscule amount.

"Ishida-san?" She called up the limousine driver as soon as she exited the room. "Please pick me up now…"

"_Already?_" He said. "_It's only been half an hour—"_

"Please, just pick me up now," Tsukiko begged, her voice getting weaker with every step. The whispers really took a toll on her.

"_Alright, Miss. I'm on my way._"

"Thank you," she whispered, before hanging up.

She was never going to that goddamn Host Club again.

The next two weeks were rough for Tsukiko. The whispers didn't stay inside the Host Club, oh no. They spread outside. Everywhere she went, she'd be bombarded by questions. _Why'd you go to the Host Club, huh? Are you really that lonely? You weren't even with a host, so why were you there? Did they refuse to host you?_ The physical bullying went up, as well as the verbal bullying.

She completely ignored all the hosts that passed by her, and only ever spoke to Haruhi in a curt tone when she passed by the brunette in the hallways, still believing her to be a boy. Tsukiko would shoot nasty glares at the Hitachiins any time they got in her line of vision, and they would feel very, _very_ guilty about it.

Tsukiko even sat farther away from Kyoya and Tamaki, and would shut down the blond with her words when he tried to speak to her. In a nutshell, she gave the Host Club the cold shoulder and it was very obvious that she resented them.

Something changed inside the Host Club, however. Any time they'd be out in the halls and Tsukiko passed by, they became more aware of what was being said about her.

"We didn't know it was that bad," The twins confessed one day during lunch. "We just thought it was simple name calling, yanno…?

"Well it is bad. I heard from a couple of girls in my class that someone tripped Tsu-chan just because!" Hunny piped up, hugging Usa-chan very tightly with a frown on his face.

"Yes. Tamaki and I saw that during class two weeks ago," Kyoya added.

"I saw… Someone take her bag and torment her," Mori mumbled, regretting that fact that he did nothing to help.

"This is really bad… I didn't someone could be bullied to this extent at Ouran…" Haruhi sighed, running a hand through her hair.

"She has a bionic leg. She's different. People tend to attack those who differ from the norm," Kyoya said in his usual statistical way. "They pick on them and outcast them from society."

"So, that's why she always kept to herself…" Tamaki looked very depressed, and not in a comical way. "She must've felt like such an outcast…"

The rest of the hosts agreed, an air of depression hanging around them. "I feel so bad now," Hikaru admitted, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Well, what are we gonna do now?" Karou asked, putting his head on the table. "It's not like she'll walk up to us…"

"Then we'll walk up to her!" Tamaki declared, standing up and slamming his hands down on the desk. "If she won't come to us, we'll come to her."

"But senpai, I'm pretty sure she loathes us. She ignores most of us anyways," Haruhi reminded him.

"Well, maybe she'll have a change of heart," Tamaki counter-argued, trying to be hopeful. "You never know! I'm sure she'll be empathetic, right?"

Tamaki first tried to approach her the next morning, in the beginning of class. "Tsukiko-hime, I'd like to tell you that we, as a Host Club, would like you to—"

Tsukiko silenced him with an ice cold glare. "I'd rather you not talk to me," she hissed, feeling hostile. "Get away, Tamaki. And tell your host club to stay away, as well."

"Tsukiko-hime, please I—"

"No, Tamaki. Now leave me alone."

He tried again during lunch.

"Tsukiko-hime, I know we didn't get off on the right start this morning but I—" Tamaki was cut off again.

"I said stay away, and my answers remains the same."

Again, at the end of the day.

"Tsu—"

"Tamaki, I said _stay away!"_ Tsukiko practically screamed at him, looking very pained and infuriated. "How many times do I have to repeat it before it gets through that thick skull of yours?!"

Tamaki was silent with Kyoya by his side. His companion was also speechless for once in his life, and the two made no move to grab Tsukiko as she ran down the stairs and out of their sight.

"Rough day, Miss?" Ishida asked as Tsukiko slammed the car door shut once she got inside.

"You have no idea," Tsukiko sighed, rubbing her forehead as she felt a headache coming on. It was a very stressful day, and she wanted nothing more than to relax at home and forget about school.

If only she could do that.

* * *

**A/N: Hello! What you just read was Chapter 3 of **_**Titanium Doesn't Mix With Love. **_**I hope you enjoyed it! I know, I know, it's only like 2,200 words, but I tried! Besides, I've got lots of things in store for you guys. Make sure to review alright? It keeps me going!**

**By the way, tomorrow is the day I go back to school, so I'll be probably updating on Fridays—Sundays depending on how much I get done during the weekdays.**

**Disclaimer: I am in no way in part of the ownership of Ouran High School Host Club. All rights belong to Bisco Hatori and Bones Inc. All I do own is Tsukiko Akiyama and etc.**


	4. Chapter 4

"Alright, we're going to try the plan again!" Currently it was 6:30 AM, and each and every one of the Host Club members were gathered in the club. Tamaki was practically bursting with sunshine while the others weren't so happy.

"Why the hell are we up this early...?" Kyoya hissed, not looking his best. His "Demon King" aura was cranked up to the max. He didn't like being woken up so early, he _really_ didn't like it.

Tamaki gulped. "We're going to try and have Tsukiko-hime come back to the club, remember, Mommy?" He laughed nervously, taking refuge behind a half-asleep Haruhi.

"I swear to god, _Daddy_," Kyoya seethed. "If this plan of yours fails and it wastes my time, I will have your head."

"Boss, are you sure about us going first?" Hikaru whined, leaning against Kaoru. "Tsukiko-senpai hates us. Like, she really hates us!"

"That's why you're first!" Tamaki turned to the Hitachiins, pointing a finger at them. "You're the ones who made Tsukiko-hime the angriest, so you will be the first to apologize!"

"I really hope he's sure about this..." Karou ran a hand through his hair, pursing his lips as if he knew that the plan would go awry.

* * *

"Hey, Tsukiko-senpai!" The twins caught a glimpse of Tsukiko as she stepped daintily out of the limo. The sprinted toward her, trying to catch her before she left. Tsukiko looked up once she heard her name, but scowled when she saw their faces.

She tried to avoid them, walking through a large crowd in effort to lose them, but to no avail. They still caught up to her once she exited the ginormous mass of blue and yellow. Hikaru grabbed her arm and spun her around to face them, much to her dismay.

"Tsukiko-senpai, we need to talk to you," Karou began, speaking fast. "Listen, Boss wants you to come back to the Host Club!"

"Yeah, he really wants you to not be mad at us!" Hikaru stumbled over his words, rubbing the back of his neck. "So we thought that if we—"

"If you what?!" Tsukiko cut him off with a raised eyebrow and a displeased tone in her voice. "If you make fun of me again for having a _robot leg_?" She snarled."If you invade my personal space and raise up my skirt again?" She stood her ground, facing them with a look of pure, intense hatred that could rival Kyoya's looks, despite the three inch height difference and how small she seemed. "I will say this once, and once only," The air around her was not normal. It was full of pain, anger, and concentrated hatred for the two boys standing in front of her. "Hikaru and Karou Hitachiin, stay away from me and never speak to me again, or so help me." She stomped on their feet out of spite, making sure to twist her foot around, and smirked as they howled in pain. Tsukiko looked around, a crowd of spectators forming. She narrowed her eyes, giving the twins one last look before running away.

_I seem to do that a lot, hmm?_ She thought, hugging herself. _Running away…_

"Crap! That hurt!" Hikaru hissed. "She used her damn metal foot for God's sake!"

"I think we deserved that," Karou winced, his voice shooting up high as he cradled his foot. "I just hope she didn't break my toes."

* * *

Once the twins reported back to Tamaki, the blond sent Kyoya in next, much to the Shadow King's dismay.

"Are you really going to make me do this?" Kyoya said dryly, obviously not very happy.

"Yes of course Mommy!" Tamaki pushed him gently toward the direction of Tsukiko, who was diligently reading in the back of the classroom. "C'mon! Do it for the Host Club?" Tamaki begged.

Kyoya shot him a glare and made his way toward Tsukiko begrudgingly. He stared down the boy who was in the desk next to her until he moved, seemingly wetting his pants. "Tsukiko," Kyoya addressed the girl curtly, sliding into the chair and facing forward.

"K—Kyoya," she stuttered, not so sure why he was suddenly next to her. She slowly closed her book, a pause taking place. "...So... Why are you—um—Why are you here?" She asked, looking at him.

"I'm in this class," he replied sarcastically, meeting her gaze as he turned his head. His eyes were expressionless as usual, with their same steely glint. They stared at each other for a second, before Kyoya raised his eyebrow, urging Tsukiko to continue speaking. The girl flushed a bit pink, and nervously played with her fingers.

"No I mean—" she almost sighed exasperatedly, but bit it back. "I mean, why are you here, sitting next to me, when your seat is all the way in the front?" She nervously tucked a wisp of hair behind her ear. Kyoya's harsh grey eyes bore into her warm brown ones, and it made her slightly uncomfortable.

"I've come with a proposal," Kyoya leaned forward in his seat a bit, lacing his fingers together and putting them under his chin. He scoffed as Tsukiko's face flushed all shades of red. "Not a marriage proposal. That's preposterous."

"I—I wasn't thinking that!" _Oh yes she was._ Tsukiko covered her face with her hands, cursing mentally at herself. What happened to being the cold hearted bitch she was with the twins?

_He makes me so nervous!_ Thoughts ran through her head at the speed of light. _His family is pretty rich and high up on the social ladder, but I'm not scared of only that…_ She chewed on her lip. _He's just so… So good looking it's intimidating! Wait… Tsukiko, now is __**not**__ the time to think about that!_

"Sure. Anyways," Kyoya continued on, looking slightly confused as Tsukiko let out a squeak after mentally speaking to herself. "Tamaki wishes for you to come back to the Host Club. That's it, simple. He wishes to speak with you over certain... Subjects."

"No," Tsukiko shook her head, letting out a deep sigh, her cheeks going back to their normal pale color. "Listen, Kyoya I'm s—sorry—" she froze as Kyoya stared at her with such intensity she felt him burning holes through her face. "—but I do not wish to come in contact with any of the Host Club members anymore. Please." She stuttered and looked away, grimacing.

"I see then," Kyoya nodded, getting up and leaving her once more. Tsukiko groaned silently, slumping forward on her desk.

"Failed again?" Tamaki blubbered as Kyoya came back empty handed. "We'll have to send in Haruhi next..."

"You make this sound like some spy operation," Kyoya rolled his eyes as he say back down in his regular seat, totally not rerunning the conversation in his mind again and mentally noting certain points.

* * *

"Tsukiko-senpai! Wait up!" Haruhi called out her name as she ran down the hallway, trying to catch up with the upperclassman.

"Haruhi," Tsukiko said softly, ceasing her steps and turning to face her kohai. "Make it quick, if you don't mind, I have a class to get back to."

"Sure," Haruhi nodded, catching her breath. "Look senpai, I'm really sorry about the twins. They can be insensitive and total douchebags sometimes, but I swear they don't really mean any harm!"

"I doubt that," Tsukiko shook her head, not believing Haruhi's defense, and tightly lacing her fingers together.

"Oh okay so maybe they do mean it sometimes but—" Haruhi brought up a point. "The rest of us really want you to come back to the Host Club, okay? We've realized the gossip that's spread around about you and we honestly want to help—"

"Enough," Tsukiko stopped Haruhi, putting a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry, Haruhi. I think I can handle it on my own. Besides, just being around the Host Club tends to rile up the gossip even more." Her voice cracked, and she covered her mouth in embarrassment. "Sorry, Haruhi. Please just—just stay away," She murmured, bringing her hand down and wringing her hands together before swiftly turning around and walking away, leaving the brunette in a state of dejection.

* * *

Tsukiko was in the garden once more after school, resting quietly in the gazebo in the middle of the maze. She'd been there plenty of times, to escape her bullies, and knew the maze pretty well. She had a pencil in her hand and her notebook laid out open in front of her. The pages will filled up with poems, written in neat, loopy letters, all written by Tsukiko herself.

She chewed on her lip in concentration, in the process of churning out another haiku. She paused her writing for a moment, tapping her pencil on her leg. She shifted positions on the stone bench circling the inside of the gazebo, crossing one leg over the other.

Tsukiko resumed her writing, her vigor being renewed by a new idea popping into her mind.

She smiled, feeling satisfied as she finished the last syllable in the haiku. It was simple, just about herself melting a frozen heart of sorts. But she closed her notebook in a panic when she realized who she was subconsciously writing about

"Get yourself together, Tsukiko!" She whispered to herself, putting her hands on her cheeks. "You've literally just met him a couple weeks ago!"

"Tsu-chan?" An cutesy voice interrupted Tsukiko, and the disabled girl jumped in surprise.

"Y—yes?" She turned to find Honey at the entrance at the gazebo, hugging his Usa-chan very tightly, and it seemed as if flowers and sparkles covered his face.

"Tsu-chan!" Honey squealed, running over to the younger girl and hopping up onto the seat next to her. "I'm glad I found you!"

_How did he make it through the maze…?_ Tsukiko wondered, dismissing the thought afterwards.

"Is there something you need, Honey-senpai?" She asked, discreetly tucking her notebook into her bag. "Anything I can help you with?"

"Well, Tsu-chan, Tama-chan wants you to come back to the host club!" Honey grabbed her hands, putting on the ever-irresistible puppy dog eyes. "Pleaaaaaase? I want you to come back too! Even Hika-chan and Kao-chan want you to come back!" Tsukiko's eyes darkened a bit at the sound of the Hitachiins' names. She was still very infuriated at them and—

"Kyo-chan and Takashi want you to come back too! Even if they don't say it, I can feel it!" The blonde giggled as Tsukiko stuttered, knowing that he hit the jackpot. "Even they miss you!"

"Well, Honey-senpai I—I—" Tsukiko looked down at her hands, which were cupped in Honey's smaller ones. "I still don't know…" She pulled her hands away, curling them into fists and placing them in her lap. She didn't look back up. "You should go. Mori-senpai is probably very worried about you right now," she tried to distract him, and didn't see the glint in his eyes.

"Okay!" Honey finally said after a couple of seconds, hopping off the bench. "But remember Tsu-chan, we want you to visit again!" He giggled, putting Usa-chan in the crook of his arm and wrapping his arms around Tsukiko in a hug. "Oh wow Tsu-chan! You smell really nice! Y'know, Takashi really likes the smell of vanilla~"

"Y—yeah," She was taken aback, but hugged him back. "See you, Honey-senpai." She was not slightly suspicious of his last remark. Not at all.

"Bye bye Tsu-chan!" Honey waved cheerfully as he left, and Tsukiko leaned back and let out a deep sigh.

_What was that last thing about? Jeez, how random…_ She still blushed however.

* * *

"Honey-senpai, where you successful in retrieving Tsukiko-hime?" Tamaki asked, hope in his eyes as they rejoined in the club room. The Host Club was closed temporarily, since they were so focused on bringing Tsukiko back to the club room.

"Nope!" Honey giggled sweetly.

Tamaki rushed to his emo corner, blubbering as mushrooms grew around him.

"I'm still amazed that he's able to do that," Haruhi commented offhandedly, wondering how much the laws of physics bent to Tamaki's will.

"But Tsu-chan did give me a hug!" Honey added, making his way over to Mori and climbing on his shoulders as he always did. "She smelled like vanilla. What a coincidence, huh, Takashi?" The knowing smile on his face passed as just a joyful one, however.

"Ah." Mori nodded, not picking up on his cousin's sly comments. Honey pouted. He was hoping to get more of a reaction.

"Who hasn't gone to Tsukiko-hime?" Tamaki shot up again, over his short depression, and with a renewed fire in his eyes.

All eyes turned to Mori, who slowly put Honey down again. "I'll go then," he shrugged, placing his hands in his pockets.

The steady rhythm of Kyoya's typing ceased. Even he was looking at Mori, but in his eyes were an unreadable look of what seemed like—No, it couldn't be. Maybe jealousy? Ha, as if. The Shadow King couldn't be jealous…

_Or could he?_

Disregarding Tamaki's encouraging shouts, Mori made his way out of the clubroom after Honey had told him when Tsukiko was. He kept calm. After all his job was just to _try_ and bring Tsukiko to the club room.

Tamaki nervously paced around the room, hoping for fruitful results. "Tamaki-senpai," Haruhi called out to him. "Seriously, stop pacing! You're making me dizzy."

"But Haruhi!" Tamaki whined like a child "I'm worried! What if we can't get Tsukiko-hime to come back to the host club? The bullying could get worse, she could be thrown into a depression, and then eventually she could—she could—"

"Tamaki. I prefer if mentions of suicide be none in this club room," Kyoya stated, pushing up his glasses before continuing his typing on his laptop. "I'm sure that Tsukiko would not kill herself. She's not _that_ weak."

Tamaki nodded, yet still continuing his pacing. Ten minutes passed, then fifteen, then twenty… The wait was getting intense.

"What's taking Mori-senpai so long?" Hikaru asked, boredly pressing buttons on his game console, sitting back to back with Kaoru who was also playing with the same kind of game console. "It's already been twenty minutes!"

"Maybe he got lost in that maze thingy where Tsukiko-senpai is?" Kaoru shrugged, focusing solely on his game.

"No, Takashi knows that maze like the back of his hand!" Honey swung his legs back and forth as he sat at one of the unoccupied tables, shoveling sweets into his mouth like there was no tomorrow without Mori there to restrict him. "I've ran in there plenty of times when we'd play hide and seek," He giggled, forcing a particularly large bite of chocolate into his mouth. "He knows where Tsu-chan is!"

"I just hope he brings her here…" Tamaki sighed, finally settling down on one of the couches.

Forty minutes passed with a heavy silence hanging throughout the club room. The only sounds were coming from Kyoya's rapid typing, Honey's shoveling of food into his mouth, and the twins' games until finally, the doors opened.

"Mori-senpai!" Tamaki was the first one out of his seat. Everyone else looked up to see only Mori standing in the doorway, the same expression on his face as always. Tamaki's face fell, when he saw that Mori was seemingly alone.

"Did you bring her back, Takashi?" Honey asked, swallowing the last bites of his cake.

"Mitsukuni, how much cake have you eaten?" asked the stoic boy. But he did step aside a little, to let a girl get in front of him. And that girl was Tsukiko.

"H—hello everyone…" She wiped her nose with a tissue balled up in her hands, her lashes sparkling with tears. "Mori-senpai finally convinced me that maybe you guys can help me. Y'know, with the bullying caused by _this_ and all..." She lifted her skirt up a little, just enough to show her bionic foot, a hesitant smile on her face.

Tamaki's face changed drastically, and his lips broke out into a grin. "Hooray! We finally got Tsukiko-senpai back into the club room!" He cheered, rushing over to the girl for a hug.

"T—Tamaki! You're c—choking me!" Tsukiko squeaked, feeling crushed in Tamaki's arms as the blond spun her around and around.

Everyone smiled, even Mori. Though Kyoya only let out a fraction of a smile, only lifting his eyes from his laptop for a glance at Tsukiko, surprisingly.

* * *

**A/N: THANK GOD I'M FINALLY FINISHED! Alright you guys, thank you for reading Chapter 4 of **_**Titanium Doesn't Mix With Love.**_** I'm so glad I finished it, even though it's like 1 AM ;u; Be happy I stayed up to finish it for you! (JK, I would've stayed up no matter what xD)**

**Well, I hope you enjoyed, and review, review, review!**

**Disclaimer: I am in no way in part of the ownership of Ouran High School Host Club. All rights belong to Bisco Hatori and Bones Inc. All I do own is Tsukiko Akiyama and etc.**


	5. Chapter 5

"What did Mori-senpai do to convince you to come, Tsukiko-hime?" Tamaki asked, once they were all settled in couches and chairs placed in a circle. "The rest of us couldn't get you to come, so what was it about Mori-senpai that made him so special?"

Tsukiko's face flushed red, even redder than before, and she looked down at her hands, lacing her fingers together in embarrassment. "Well—I—Um—" She stuttered, not too sure if she was ready to recall the events that happened in the garden earlier.

* * *

_Tsukiko was just simply flipping through her book like a madwoman, flipping page after page as she greedily read. It was a good book about a human girl being fought over a demon and angel, for both were madly in love with this human girl. It was a cliché plot, but Tsukiko couldn't get enough of it._

_ She giggled quietly, pressing her knuckles against her lips to hold back her squeals of joy. She had just gotten to the part where the girl was confronted by the angel, who was confessing his forbidden love. Tsukiko frowned when the girl ran away, only to be found by the demon. He too confessed his love for the human girl, who ran away again. She clicked her tongue, turning to the next page. The story was suspenseful, but it was still nonetheless a well written story, despite the cliché-ness of it all._

_ Meanwhile, Mori had just entered the center of the maze, where the gazebo lay in waiting in front of him. He spotted Tsukiko immediately, and paused. She looked—content, maybe? Possibly happy? But—never mind that now. _

_ He took another step toward the gazebo, making sure he made some noise to alert Tsukiko. She was too absorbed into her book, and didn't notice him however. He contemplated his options for a second, before going with the most obvious one—calling her name._

_ "Tsukiko."_

_ "Eh?!" Her head snapped up and she slammed her book shut, banging her actual knee against the underside of the table. "GODDAMN—" She cursed, holding her knee. She hissed in pain, clutching her knee as she looking to the side. "Oh!" Her eyes widened, and her cheeks became rosy. "M—M—Mori-senpai!" She stuttered, brushing her hair out of her face. "Hello there! Sorry for cursing, haha!" She nervously laughed, just like she did when she last bumped into him weeks ago. _

_ "Ah," Mori nodded. He didn't expect Tsukiko to yell curses just like that. What a strange girl._

_ "Is there something you wanted to talk to me about? Or—uh—were you going to sit here to? If so, that's totally okay! I mean it's not my gazebo, and you're free to sit wherever you want—!" She kept rambling, only shutting her mouth when Mori entered the gazebo and sat across from her. Her cheeks were still pink, and a tiny awkward smile on her face. She averted her eyes from his gaze in order to avoid more mortifying moments, and coughed. "So—um—yeah," She finally said, her voice barely audible. _

_ "Sorry for surprising you," he apologized, his voice giving Tsukiko the shivers._

_**Is it bad to think that his voice is actually quite nice?**__ Tsukiko thought to herself, before waving her hands in dismissal and shaking her head to get rid of the thought. "It's fine! I do it all the time!" She lied, putting on a fake smile as she discreetly rubbed her knee, knowing that there would be a bruise there later. "I mean—y'know—I'm just easily startled I guess!"_

_ "Well, I wanted to talk to you," Mori tucked his hands into his pockets and leaned back a bit, keeping his eyes focused on Tsukiko, who dared not to look back at him._

_ "Let me guess," Tsukiko sighed, hugging her arms and a little grimace on her lips, the awkwardness still hanging in the air between them with an air of vexation radiating off of Tsukiko. "It's about wanting me to come back to the host club, right?" She bit her lip, looking down at her feet. Her bangs fell in front of her eyes, so Mori wasn't able to see the displeasure in her eyes. "I've told everyone else, senpai. I don't want to go back, and I wanted all of you to stay away from me. But obviously, that isn't working out so well, is it?" She laughed bitterly, keeping her eyes downcast and clutching at her uniform sleeves tightly. "Well, tell me this; do you only want me to come back because you've all got some sort of obsession with disabled people? Does it fascinate you all so much to stare at someone with a missing leg? If so, I'm sorry. I'm not willing to go back to that circus you call a host club."_

_ Mori shook his head. "No, that's not it."_

_ "Then what is it?!" Tsukiko huffed, gritting her teeth and finally looking back up at him. Her nose was scrunched up and her eyebrows were furrowed together. She looked quite frustrated as she pulled at her uniform sleeves. "Why do you want me to come back? Besides, it just spreads more gossip about me, doesn't it? You know how the ladies you entertain like to spread gossip!" Her voice cracked a bit as she attempted to hold back the rising tone of her voice._

_ "We heard the gossip," he replied. "It's not pretty, I know. Tamaki really wants to help, and so do the rest of us. We can help bring awareness to the rest of the school."_

_ "Look, I can handle it by myself okay? I don't need the help of a host club to—"_

_ "How long have they been talking bad about you?"_

_ "W—what?" Tsukiko's expression changed from one of annoyance to one of confusion. "What do you—"  
"How long have they been bullying you? About your leg?"_

_ Tsukiko let out a deep breath. Wasn't Mori supposed to be quiet and practically mute? She rubbed her forehead, collecting her thoughts so she could answer his question._

_ "I don't know…I—ugh…" She inhaled sharply. "Years? Five? Ten years? I really don't know senpai… I've had this leg forever." She involuntarily clutched at her bionic leg through the fabric of her dress, a wisp of a memory flashing through her mind. _

_ "Are you tired of it?" _

_**What's with all these questions? What's he getting at? **__"…Yeah. I'm real tired of it. Every day I dread coming here to school because I know—I just __**know**__ that some sort of new rumor is bound to be spreading around." _

_ "The Host Club's job is to help young ladies, Tsukiko, with all their problems. I don't think you can handle it by yourself, no matter what you say. Just let us help."_

_ "How would you know?" She scoffed, feeling a bit irked. "You're perfectly normal. You're not missing any appendages, and neither do people scorn your existence." _

_ "Trust me," he replied, his words short and simple, offering not much explanation._

_ "You're being cryptic, senpai." The corners of her lips quivered. "Why do you all try so __**hard**__ to help? Why? Why can't you just leave me alone—leave me to handle everything by myself? I've been doing fine all these years. So what makes you think that I can't handle it a couple more?"_

_ A small sigh escaped from the boy's lips. "Tamaki is a hard headed person. He's set on helping you, Tsukiko. He wants to make sure that you aren't bullied anymore. I, as well, want to make sure that bullying doesn't happen to you." _

_ Tsukiko's reply was one of complete silence as she thought about what he said. Though she didn't hear his last sentence. Processing the entire conversation she had just had with the older boy, she slumped forward and cupped her head in her hands._

_ "We just want you to feel comfortable in your own skin. Even with the disability you possess, we want to make sure you aren't going to be in anymore danger of judgement, physical harassment, and verbal harassment." _

_ "We? Are you sure it's __**we?**__ The Hitachiin Twins don't seem to mind pulling up my skirt and being insensitive assholes," Tsukiko hissed, keeping her head in her hands to contain her crossness. _

_ "They are truly sorry for their actions, and wish to apologize if you do come back to the Host Club with me." Mori made it sound very sincere—and he was sincere. It quite pained him to see such an innocent person go through such aggravation, and for some reason, it reminded him of Honey when he went through those three bitter days, but a hundred times worse. _

_ Tsukiko couldn't help it. It was quite funny actually, how much she was crying since she met the Host Club, and how much turmoil they caused her. Tears escaped from her eyes, and she was once again sobbing her eyes out._

_ "I'm s—sorry," She managed to choke out. "I just—no one's has ever been this nice and I—I guess I can't handle it by myself anymore—" All the pent up emotion inside her just burst forth as if released from some sort of emotional dam, and she sat there weeping until there were no more tears. _

_ Mori patiently waited for her to calm down, but made no move to say anything more until after Tsukiko finally dried her eyes with a tissue from her bag. "S—sorry," She apologized again. _

_ "It's fine. It's alright to cry, you know."_

_ Tsukiko suspired heavily, crumbling the tissue in her small hands and straightening herself up. "I honestly don't know what to do in order to persuade you to give up on me, who is such a lost cause." She tucked her hair out of her face, eyes red and puffy and sniffling. "So I guess… It's time to accept help. __**But—**__there is one condition."_

_ "Yes?" Mori raised an eyebrow, wondering on what terms Tsukiko would be on before accepting the Host Club's help."_

_ "I wish for whatever help you will give me will not backfire. And if it does…" she trailed off, earning a small chuckle from Mori._

_ "Tamaki is a stubborn person. If it backfires, I swear he will find a way to fix it."_

_ And so, he got up, and like the gentleman he was, extended a hand for Tsukiko to take so she could exit the gazebo with grace. Tsukiko was too caught up in her previous thoughts to really care, and she gathered her things and grabbed his hand, this time not so clumsily getting up._

_**I really just did that, didn't I? I lamented about how I needed no help whatsoever, and here I am, accepting it. How much more hypocritical can I get? **__She brooded over the fact that she had switched mindsets so quickly without so much as an afterthought during her sob sessions, and quietly walked side by side next to Mori as they exited the maze together._

_ "Tamaki will be glad," Her senpai commented, hands still in his pockets. Tsukiko had to walk very quickly to match his long strides, and so he slowed down a bit. _

_ "I just want to forget the bullying," she answered, one hand clutching her other arm in an almost vice-like grip. _

_ The rest of the walk was spent in silence, a bit of cumbersome air hanging around the two. Inwardly however, Tsukiko was only the tiniest bit glad. Maybe with the help of this Host Club, she'd be able to completely forget she was different from most people, and she'd be able to live a normal life. She'd be free of the burden of a missing leg, and no one would make fun of her for it. _

_ It was only a wish though, and that didn't mean it'd necessarily come true. But a girl could hope—right?_

_"Mori-senpai?" Tsukiko finally broke the silence just as they approached the double doors leading into the music room._

_ "Hm?" He answered, looking over his shoulder with one hand on the door handle to look at her. _

_ "I—uh—" She fumbled around with her words, not quite sure what she was going to say to him. "Oh—um—never mind," She waved it off, dismissing the thought. Tsukiko could not remember anything she was about to say, which was strange. __**It probably wasn't important anyways**__, she told herself._

* * *

**A/N: I'm tired af. Took me forever to write this but I finished with just a little over 2000 words. Sorry it's so short but I literally could not figure out how to write the scene between Tsukiko and Mori. SO you guys are stuck with this crap. xD I apologize again! Hopefully next week's chapter will be a bit better. **

**Disclaimer: I am in no way in part of the ownership of Ouran High School Host Club. All rights belong to Bisco Hatori and Bones Inc. All I do own is Tsukiko Akiyama and etc.**


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